Fitbit Premium: Oxygen Saturation (Sp02) and Your Health
Fitbit Premium offers a wealth of features and data that can help you improve your health. One such feature is the ability to track your oxygen saturation levels over time. This can be important for people with conditions like asthma, COPD, or heart disease. Knowing your sp02 trends can help you identify when there are changes in your health that need to be addressed. If you’re not already a Fitbit Premium subscriber, now is a great time to start a free trial and check out all the benefits!
What is Sp02 and what role does it Play in your Health?
Oxygen saturation, or Sp02, is a measure of the amount of oxygen in your blood. It’s used to assess how well your lungs are functioning and how much oxygen is being delivered to your tissues. Low oxygen levels can be a sign of respiratory problems or other health conditions. That’s why tracking your Sp02 over time can be an important part of your overall health journey.
If you’re not already tracking your Sp02 levels, Fitbit Premium can help. With our new oxygen saturation feature, you can see your trends over time and get insights into how different activities impact your oxygen levels. This information can be valuable for people with conditions like asthma, COPD, or heart disease. It can also help you identify when there are changes in your health that need to be addressed.
If you’re not already a Fitbit Premium subscriber, now is a great time to start a free trial and check out all the benefits! With the new oxygen saturation feature, you can get valuable insights into your health and see how different activities impact your oxygen levels.
How Does Your Fitbit Device Track your SP02 Levels?
Your Fitbit device uses red and infrared sensors to estimate your oxygen saturation. This technology is similar to what’s used in pulse oximeters, which are devices that measure blood oxygen levels. The sensors on your device shine light into your skin and measure how much light is absorbed. This information is then used to estimate the percentage of hemoglobin in your blood that is saturated with oxygen.
To get the most accurate oxygen saturation readings, it’s important to wear your device snugly on top of your wrist. The sensors should be in contact with your skin for the best results. You can also use our new Sleep Mode feature to help improve the accuracy of your readings during sleep. This feature uses your heart rate to estimate your oxygen saturation levels while you sleep.
So Why cant the SP02 Feature be a Base Fitbit Metric for Free?
I wondered this and I wasn’t sure what the answer will be. I mean the base features that your get when you purchase your new Fitbit device are amazing, and over the years have gathered a loyal following. Their technology advances with each version they release.
Now back to the question, why isn’t it a free feature?, The way I see it in my opinion comes down to cost. I mean I look at Smart watch brands that offer SP02 tracking is their price tag its a pretty hefty price. Compared to the Fitbit Watch’s they are fairly lower to their competitors.
What I am trying to say is, Fitbit may have thought that it would be better for you to make that choice. For example, you purchase your new Fitbit device and most of the time you only use maybe 70% of the features on offer. If you take away some of those features that is irrelevant to you, then you are more than likely use up to 85% of the features that’s on offer. If the base feature’s can help you achieve your goals then that’s cool, but if you need further health insights then you pay a little extra.
What does it Mean when You have a High SP02 Score?
A high SP02 score means that your blood is highly saturated with oxygen. This is generally a good thing and indicates that your lungs are functioning well. However, in some cases, a high SP02 score can be a sign of an underlying health condition. If you have a high SP02 score, it’s important to talk to your doctor to find out if there is an underlying cause that needs to be addressed.
Any Tips to Improve Oxygen Saturation Level?
There are a few things you can do to help improve your oxygen saturation levels.
Use Fitbit’s Daily Readiness Score
This is also a premium health metric, however this amazing feature will help you make smarter decisions when it comes to your health and well being. The daily readiness score will track how your body is dealing with stress which can also affect your SP02.
Begin Aerobic Exercising
There are many benefits to aerobic exercise. Aerobic exercises help your body’s metabolic activities, make it easier to breathe, and improve your blood’s oxygen saturation level. They also help the cells in our body use oxygen better, which raises the SpO2 level in your body. Additionally, aerobic exercises increase your body’s endurance and immunity.
Add Antioxidants into your diet
Antioxidants help your body use oxygen more efficiently. This means that you can include more antioxidants in your diet, like blueberries, cranberries, strawberries, blackberries, kidney beans, plums and artichoke hearts. This will help keep your SpO2 level stable.
Add Healthy Fats and Increase Your Leafy Green Intake
You can also consider eating foods that are rich in fatty acids and Vitamin F. These foods help increase the amount of oxygen that your blood can carry. Iron-rich foods such as green vegetables, apples, legumes, fish, poultry etc. also help by making your red blood cells stronger.
Drink Plenty of Water
Drinking water is important for getting better oxygen levels in your blood. When you drink a lot of water, your lungs stay hydrated and work better. This means that the oxygen in your blood will be better.
Drinking 2-3 litres of water can improve your blood’s oxygen saturation level by up to 5%. Drinking lots of water also helps regulate your body temperature and boost your immune system
Practise Deep Breathing
How you breathe can have a big effect on how much oxygen your blood has. If you change the way you breathe, you can increase the amount of oxygen in your blood. Doctors and scientists have recently discovered that people who breathe using their upper chest and take in less air have lower levels of oxygen in their bodies.
To breath correctly, you should take slow, deep breaths in using your diaphragm rather than your chest. This will allow you to take in more air and get more oxygen. It is also better to breathe through your nose rather than your mouth. Use the Fitbit EDA scan to help you de stress.
Use the other Fitbit Premium Health Metrics to improve your SP02 Score
In addition to tracking your oxygen saturation levels, you can also use other Fitbit Premium health metrics to help improve your overall health and wellness.
For example, the Sleep Score can help you understand how well you’re sleeping, which is important for recovery and reducing stress levels. The Heart Rate variability (HRV) score is another metric that can help you track your stress levels.
If you have a high HRV score, it means that your body is better able to handle stress. By tracking these health metrics, you can make sure that you’re making the best decisions for your health and wellbeing.
SP02 Data is Not Precisely Accurate But Close Enough
It is important to note that Fitbit does not measure or display blood oxygen saturation levels below 80 percent. The data provided by Fitbit SpO2 is intended to be a close estimation of your blood oxygen saturation levels, but it may not be precisely accurate. You should not use or rely on Fitbit SpO2 for any medical purposes.
I think this alone can be a deal breaker for many people. But is close enough good enough for you? If the answer is no, then just give the trial ago and see.
Conclusion
If you’re curious about your oxygen saturation levels, the Fitbit Sp02 score can be a helpful indicator. Keep in mind that this is just one measure of your overall health and well-being, so it’s important to consult with your doctor if you have any concerns. And always remember to listen to your body – if something doesn’t feel right, don’t hesitate to seek medical attention. Thanks for following along on our journey into oximetry!
